Local jazz act

Saturnalia

Multilingual

Violinist Jonathan LaMaster plays ringmaster to the free-improv circus he calls Saturnalia. It's a loose affiliation of players drawn from several points on Boston's musical compass, and on any given night it might include avant-rockers like Roger Miller and Cul de Sac's synthesizer wizard Robin Amos, or free improvisers like theramin virtuoso James Coleman and cellist Vic Rawlings, or an occasional free-jazz player, too. What holds them all together is a refreshing willingness to ignore (or deliberately trash) categorizations and improvise without preconceptions. The hardest-rocking tracks on the band's self-titled debut CD (on LaMaster's Sublingual label) make reference to Coltrane and Sun Ra, while some of the ambling, electro-acoustic free improvs include snatches of free-jazz trumpet and soprano sax, along with samples of fundamentalist preacher Billy Graham and Boston scenemaker Billy Ruane. There's no telling what direction their live shows might take, either. You might catch them working with Atlanta's free-jazz outfit the Gold Sparkle Band, or hear the Saturnalia String Trio working with legendary New York saxophonist Daniel Carter. Then again, they're just as likely to pop up on a bill with DJs and performance artists, or accompanying a silent film. Is it jazz? That label will serve as well as any other. One thing is certain, the music is full of the sound of surprise -- and that's all you need.

-- Ed Hazell